BusTalk

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

PSNJ "highway coaches".......

PS, indeed, operated buses that were also used in "long-haul" service by other carriers (GREYHOUND, TRAILWAYS, etc.), such as the 4104, 4106, and the "Buffalo".

IMHO, had PS survived, I can easily see them investing more and more in MCI coaches, especially with GM getting ready to throw in towel, bus manufacturing-wise.

Then, too, might PS have purchased some PREVOST coaches? (recall, SOMERSET became the first United States bus company to purchase the CHAMPION, in 1968)......

["PUBLIC SERVICE"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Just a personal "commentary", here.....

With most folks driving these days (despite the high cost of fuel), and flying (despite the blitz of major service disruptions (and unstable, unruly passengers) during the past few years (and, of course, the aftermath of COVID), it amazes me that there is still ANY sort of intercity bus service in operation today.

AMTRAK is now (outside of the NEC) "tenant" road, sharing tracks with freights which now get priority over the passenger trains)

AMTRAK has abandoned service to so many cities and towns over the past several decades; GREYHOUND is now but a wispy skeleton of what it was, sixty year ago.

Ever notice on the news, at holiday time, when everyone is heading home for the holidays (or, perhaps, a three-day weekend), focus is ALWAYS on the highways and the airports (seldom, if ever, is AMTRAK or the bus lines mentioned)

Think about it.......

Could anyone, sixty years ago, could have foreseen a time when CONTINENTAL TRAILWAYS no longer existed, and GREYHOUND was but a mere shell of its former self?

That there is still ANY sort of intercity bus service today still amazes me.

Just within the past few years, we've seen the last buses run for BEIBER and TRANS-BRIDGE..........

"NYO"

["GO BY BUS"]

[traildriver]

Trans-Bridge? When did they stop?
They still have an active web https://transbridgelines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Allentown-Clinton-Westbound-3_6_23.pdf

[traildriver]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[traildriver]

I don’t know if Public Service (the parent gas & electric company), distributed propane, or only natural gas, but it makes me wonder if they did, why didn’t their Transport subsidiary ever run propane powered buses, such as the Twin’s? Or did they? Not sure…
CNG buses I believe came on scene after the Transport was sold off to the state, or else it’s s good bet they would have embraced that technology. And the same for hybrid’s and all electric…😉

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

See the following.......

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Service_Enterprise_Group

["PSNJ"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

The last new buses to carry TNJ markings were the NJDOT Flex New Looks of the later 1970's (note that the long-established PS "alphabet" prefix/suffix numbering system is no longer being used for new buses)..........

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155337

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155328

https://www.nycsubway.org/perl/show?155329

(courtesy: nycsubway.org)

['TRANSPORT OF NEW JERSEY"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

Sidenote:

The NJDOT Flex New Look order (at 866 units) was the largest bus purchase to that date in the State......

"NYO"

["TNJ"]

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

PSNJ and the SCENICRUISER.......

The first SCENICRUISER to be painted in non-GREYHOUND colors was that of "X-64", which belonged to CALIFORNIA PARLOR CARS, a GREYHOUND subsidiary.

Interestingly, the first SCENICRUISER to be sold off from GREYHOUND went to a company that specialized in the resale of used buses.

The bus in question (PD4501-591) was sold to MICHAUD BUS LINES, of Salem, Mass.

This coach became #181.

A few months later, the company purchased another SCENICRUISER, which was retrieved directly from the GREYHOUND facility at Montgomery, Alabama.

Now, think of PSNJ purchasing several ex-SCENICRUISERS for de luxe service between New York and Atlantic City (sporting the distinctive PS nose "wings")......

"NYO"

["ATLANTIC CITY"]

[traildriver]

Deluxe service to Atlantic City? Well, that got me thinking about one day while I was visiting the old Trailways terminal, at 13th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia, around 1970, Safeway Trails still held down 2 daily roundtrips between there and Atlantic City, to maintain their franchise rights they inherited after absorbing the Quaker City Bus Company, some years earlier.

Public Sevice was the mainstay on that route, running roughly hourly “Boardwalk Expresses”, as well as several locals to the A C municipal terminal, formerly the PRSL train station. Many of PS trips also stopped at the underground Penn Center, Philadelphia Greyhound Terminal at 17th and Market Streets.

Anyway, my old colleague, Tom Collins, was dispatching, and calling out departures on the public address system. For the PS trips, he would announce “Atlantic City Express” (or local, listing stops). But when one of the two Trailways trips loaded, he would announce, “Silver Eagle service” for Atllantic, now boarding….”😎


During the summer season, Public Service pooled with Greyhound, on conveyed Greyhound thru trips that originated in Cleveland or Pittsburgh.
These were operated with mostly Greyhound, or sometimes PS PD-4106’s. Greyhound would not use Scenicruisers on that pool.

[NEW YORK OMNIBUS 2629]

traildrtiver:

As always, I find myself wishing I could travel back in time, and, experience, firsthand, all of the bus-oriented "insider" adventures you've enjoyed!

Speaking of Philadelphia and AC.........

In my tt collection, I have one for MARTZ, from 1979.

There are schedules between Scranton, Philadelpia, and AC.

Not counting the Philadelphia Terminal (1311 Arch St.), stops were also made at these locations in the city:

BROAD & OLNEY

BROAD & ERIE

BROAD & DIAMOND (Temple)

There was still service to Newark; the tt gives the Newark* ticket agency address as 1171 Raymond Boulevard; by this late date, demolition was already well underway at the old PS terminal.

In New York, passengers boarded and departed at Gates #'s 23 and 25 (PABT lower level)

There is also an illustration of a cruise ship, along with schedules to the New York Piers (from Wilkes-Barre & Scranton)

*A 1958 MARTZ tt (with a 4104 on the cover) lists the PS Terminal at 80 Park Place for arrivals and departures at Newark (ticket windows were #11 and #12 at the PABT; tickets could also be purchased at the QUAKER TRAILWAYS TERMINAL at Philadelphia, 1311 Arch)........

"NYO"

"NEW YORK"

[traildriver]

Yes…by the late ‘70’s, the combination of the then booming casino business, as well as bus deregulation saw an explosion of new bus entrants into that market, including, Greyhound Lines on its own (recall “Lucky Streak” Greyhound liveries)…
Of course, this ended the GL- PS pool.